


A Colorful Fate

by Cloutea



Series: A Colorful Fate [1]
Category: Overwatch (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Art School, Happy, Happy Ending, Light-Hearted, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-12-14
Updated: 2017-12-31
Packaged: 2019-02-14 16:57:48
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 8,245
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13012140
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Cloutea/pseuds/Cloutea
Summary: Jack and Gabriel meet as roommates in Overwatch Art University and their lives change for the better. Hopefully they'll be able to keep their hands off of each other long enough to make it to graduation!





	1. Color Theory

**Author's Note:**

> Welcome to my R76 Art College AU, this was inspired off of Dilfosaur's Art School AU, but instead it's based off of Prefall R76. You can find her sketches on it here: http://dilfosaur.tumblr.com/post/153058755483  
> This is my first fic so please go easy on me TT ^ TT

“What do you want in life Jack.”

 A blond-haired head swiveled from the road to the woman in the driver’s seat. Her eye, her naked eye was on him, staring deep into his own. The stunning gold contrasting and overwhelming his once striking blue like it was a sign, a warning of what would befall him if he could not answer.

 The blond, Jack, opened his mouth to speak but only silence accompanied him. He looked down, as if to concentrate on getting the words out. The raven haired woman was still staring, still demanding an answer. Jack chuckled nervously “Ana, I- I told you what I’m doing after college-” But as soon he dared to look back, the sister of her Horus eye pierced him. _Not getting away that easily_ , the thought ran through his head.

 Finally defeated, he sighed. “I… I don’t know…” Ana smiled, genuine and true, her once dominating gaze had turned soft and warm, something of a talent she had. _Must come with motherhood_ Jack pondered. “Not knowing is okay, the answer to that question is what you’ll find here.”

  _Here?_ Jack released his gaze off of Ana and onto the road. They were off the main street and on campus, the old New York style buildings popping up here and there. Ana, to Jack’s relief, let the moment fade not pressing him any further.

 Ana and Jack have been close friends since high school so this type of thing was regular for them. Or rather something Jack had been forced to get used to as Ana was never afraid to get serious with certain subjects if it proved to be a problem. It was something that Jack had to get accustomed to.

 Ana practically adopted him as her own ever since she saw how much of a mess he was. It was junior year and he moved to a new high school in the city, something he was definitely not used to. He managed to convince his parents to let him stay with his aunt Donna in Houston Texas so he could experience new things outside of endless cornfields of Indiana. Ana, having also been a new student the year before had immediately took him under his wing to comfort him in an unfamiliar new place.

 It seemed worse for Ana though. Even though Jack was confused and scared and not at all used to this kind of environment, Ana had not only experienced the same thing but practically had it ten fold due to her moving there from Egypt. Then to make matters more stressful she was pregnant five months in when she first arrived. While of course people judged she managed to change their mindsets and perceptions of her as she was kind and welcoming to everybody. Soon she was friends or at least acquaintances with almost everyone. As soon as she had her child Fareeha the students always spoiled her when Ana brought her to school events that allowed children.

 When Jack arrived all the attention was turned on him now, and Ana was the first to welcome him and show him all the ropes. She was one of his first friends in that strange place, so when she graduated a year ahead of him he was a bit lonely even though he made other friends. Finally being with her in the same college was something he was incredibly grateful for.

 There was one more thing that Ana and Jack related to so much, and that was art. They both had almost every art elective together in high school, and soon Jack discovered that Ana was just as passionate as he was. One of the main reasons he wanted to move so bad was because there would be so many more art opportunities in Houston, Indiana was for farming not for creativity. So his first friend able to not only relate to being in an unfamiliar environment but also interested in drawing? He’d ought to be the luckiest man in the world.

 So when Ana told him that she was going to Overwatch Art University not too far from their high school he practically applied right then and there. Of course you had to have a pretty well thought out and decent portfolio, something that Ana had been fleshing out ever since Egypt, but Jack was behind, he had never made a portfolio let alone one good enough for an art College.

 But when he got that acceptance letter a year later into trying to make his portfolio the best it could be, he practically cried. He did cry, and Ana could barely hear him over the phone as he was trying to tell her that his dream had come true and he’d be reunited with Ana once again, his lonely Senior year soon to be ending.

 That brings them here, some months later in Ana’s black Porsche 944 driving on campus, Jack about to start an entirely new adventure, Ana yet again at his side to help him just like old times.

 Jack looked to Ana as they drove on the winding roads of the campus. He always knew she was beautiful, but looking at her with the morning sun illuminating her face it really made her look almost ethereal. Voluminous black hair sat on her shoulders like vines on a tree, and her mid-toned skin glowed brilliantly in the sun. Her body was built, you can tell she would be able to lift two full grown adults with ease. It was now obvious why so many people seemed to be attracted to her.

 Jack shook himself out of his stupor before asking “So, how does it feel to be a Sophomore?” The egyptian woman smirked and replied “Feels like I lost that sense of wonder, I know too much now. Like I’m a 70-year old woman.” Jack snickered, “You’re only one year ahead, it’s like comparing a child to baby” He replied as Ana turned into a parking garage near the back end of campus.

“Maybe so, but I still have an entire year of experience ahead of you.”

Jack rolled his eyes, “Uh-huh whatever,”

 They pulled into a free parking space on the third level of the complex, Ana put her car in park and began to open the door. Jack followed after her and opened the back door to grab his suitcase and two other tote bags. All extra stuff he needed to officially live in his dorm, which was… _Today. God, today I am moving in…_

 That had made him stop. He needed a couple seconds to realize what just when through his head. Ana was in front of him on the other side, helping Jack with his other things when she noticed his pause. “What?” She questioned. Jack shook his head, slowly retreating out of the back of the car, things in hand as he closed the door with his hip. “Nothing it’s just… The shock of leaving home just kinda hit me” He said as he walked over to her.

 Ana started walking to the elevator and replied “Oh yeah, that will probably be disorienting for these next couple of days. Take a deep breath, you’ll be okay” Jack obeyed and inhaled as much as his lungs would allow, then released the pressure building up. It did relieve some of the tension which felt nice.

 Something else was lingering at the back of his mind though. He tried to decode what this odd feeling was as Ana and him entered the elevator. _What is it, god what is-_ Jack’s eyes widened as he gasped dramatically, scaring Ana.

“Jesus, whats wro-” She began but got cut off.

“I’m gonna see my roommate!” Jack shouted in the confined space making Ana cringe.

“Yeah obviously, you told me you already met him didn’t you?”

 “Yeah but I’m gonna like, meet him like, face to face” Ana’s expression was of questionable disbelief as Jack tried to explain more “I mean like- We’ve emailed but you can’t gleam anything from a person like that, especially if said emails are about what toiletries that each of us prefer.”

 The elevator dinged as it indicated that they were on the ground floor, Ana pinching the bridge of her nose “Jack, you haven’t physically met up with your dorm mate? How did you guys even set up your room?”

 “... Email?” Jack said as they exited the elevator and walked out of a glass door next to the wall, now out in the open air. Ana groaned in frustration and said “I don’t even know how that’s possible, dorm mates are required to schedule a time where they both set up their living space together” She said, emphasizing the last word. Jack shrugged and added “I dunno he told me that he wasn’t able to make it and to make sure I put all my shit on my side of the room and he’d accommodate.”

 Under her breath Ana said “I knew I should’ve have looked into him more” The blond man turned his head to hear what his friend had said and questioned “What was that?” Ana swiveled her head up in almost a panic before saying “Nothing, don’t worry about it”

 “No, what was that?” Jack demanded as he stared daggers into her. Caught red handed she surrendered, “I… may have done some research into your little friend”

 “Ana!”

 “It was nothing harmful! I just looked into him to make sure he wasn’t going to cause you trouble” Jack sighed, rubbing a hand over his face letting the silence overtake the conversation. They continued to walk along the brick road and a couple seconds later Jack practically whispered “What did you find?” Ana grinned knowing that she would catch his attention more than his wrath and answered “You’ll be fine,” _Wonderfully vague Ana._

 They continued on, and Jack couldn’t help but to think to himself that he really should have looked into his room mate some more instead of going with the flow as said person had insisted. The paranoia started to slowly eat away at him as he spaced out. What was this guy really like? Was Jack going to hate him? Was he going to hate Jack? As these thoughts slowly ate him away as he was starting to develop a cold sweat. Then a hand clasped around his shoulder, stopping his forward movement.

 Luckily it provided a distraction from these unproductive thoughts. Jack turned around to see Ana with an eyebrow raised at him as all she did was point upward in front of him. Turning around he could see they were right in front of the dorm building stairs, Jack spaced out so much that he almost had not noticed and probably would have tripped and hurt himself. _I wonder if she has a sixth sense for these types of things_ Jack thought has he sighed and thanked Ana.

 They entered the building and Jack dug around in his back pocket for his wallet, fishing out his school ID. The security guard behind the desk smiled at the two students. She had bright blond hair that was cut into a short bob. She glanced at Jack’s card, Ana conveniently not having to hold hers up, he was about to ask why until the woman said “Hey Ana, how’s the little girl?”

  _Ah, of course. It’s Ana. Why wouldn’t she be friends with half the people here already?_

 “As insane as usual, how’s Jacob?”

 The woman laughed and said “Well, we got engaged over the summer, the wedding is in March of next year” She held out her hand, showing Ana the engagement ring. Jack knew that this would take a while, so he caught Ana’s eye for a second before motioning that he was gonna go. She nodded at him before aweing at the woman’s ring.

 Jack walked down the hall, currently decorated with an array of different posters for clubs and events happening. He looked at the different designs, admiring the people’s handiwork. This was the type of stuff that he is going to get into. _Graphic Design_ he awed. It was a fairly reliable field to get a degree in, being useful in a lot of circumstances.

 He half got it for that reason, his parents were always hesitant in him going to school for art, but they wanted what would make their son happy so they agreed. He figuring getting the degree would ease his parents worry, but the other reason was because of his introduction to digital art.

 It was much more versatile than traditional and as soon as he got a tablet his freshman year of his old high school in Indiana he immediately fell into an obsession for the medium. He liked designing logos, vector art, and magazine spreads. But every now and then he would draw in his sketchbook, practicing his style and polishing it up.

 Jack realized he was stopped in the middle of the hallway spacing out. He would sometimes get absorbed in his head, thinking about a myriad of different things. More often than not it would earn him some odd stares and awkward situations. Luckily the hall was empty, so he continued on his way to where he remembered his room was.

 He got the raw end the deal for his room, it was all the way at the back end of the building, so it would be quite the walk sometimes. He was lucky enough to be a freshman though, they had the first floor. No need to lug anything up the stairs or into the cramped elevator. He also had the luxury of a shared bathroom in the room itself. Maybe that’s why it was vastly more expensive and also quite the walk.

 As Jack absentmindedly went through the hall he almost walked right past him room. He took a few steps back, mentally kicking himself for almost walking even farther away than he already was. He fished the keys out of his tote before realizing that his room mate might be here. Time to panic.

  _Oh shit, what was his name? What if he’s naked when I walk in? What if-_

 He eyes managed to catch the nameplate underneath their room number as his mind began to run circles. _Room 134, Jack M. and Gabriel R._

 His mind screeched to a halt, _that’s right… Gabriel… Like the angel_. Now he should remember, he always loved hearing about the angels from the stories in the bible as a kid. Jack grinned to himself before taking a deep breath and unlocking the door.

 Cautiously opening it Jack looked in the room so see-

  _Oh, he isn’t here yet._

 Although he was panicking just a second ago some part of him is disappointed that he didn’t show up yet. Jack shook his head before wheeling his suitcase into the room.

 Now that he actually takes in his surroundings he finally gets to see Gabriel’s side of the room. Lots of black, but fairly simple. He sees about two posters adorning his side of the wall, seems to be something from The Punisher and an abstract band poster. He also sees that is desk is already a mess, full of sketchbooks and pencils. Next to his desk are a lot of canvases of varying different sizes. He curious and he wants to look through to see what this guy has stashed away, but Jack knows better. After all he barely knows Gabriel yet, best stay on his good side.

 Other than the darker color scheme his room mate’s general look isn’t too out there. Pretty normal from someone whos email name was “ReaperoftheNight24”

 Jack sighed and ran a hand through his hair before lifting his suitcase and setting it on the bed. He opened it and started to shuffle through his things, taking out certain clothing and toiletries to organize them.

 Jack soon began to space out again, thinking about his classes and where they were from what he remembered of the map before the sound of the door opening was echoed through the silent dorm. He almost didn’t hear it, so enveloped in his own thought when his gut twisted with the late realization that the door opening could be-

 Looking at the door his eyes widened slightly at the figure there. He had dark skin with a black beanie atop his head and the greatest case of resting bitch face Jack has ever seen in his life. Despite this it also dawned on Jack that he was a _gorgeous_ man. He had prominent cheekbones, a heavily structured nose, and more narrow eyes, all to complement nicely with his groomed brown goatee. Jack couldn’t see from here, but his eyes almost seemed black in color, incredibly dark but he bet he could see more in them if he could just get a little closer-

  _Jack you’re spacing out!_

 Shaking his head slightly Jack released himself from his hypnotized state and smiled, albeit slightly awkwardly, before walking towards the man, hands on his hips. “Hey, you must be Gabriel” Jack outstretched his hand, hoping that the other person would take it in kind even though he also had a couple of bags he was holding. The man nodded once before putting down a bag to grab Jack’s hand. “Just Gabe. Are you Jack?”

 It was a surprisingly sturdy handshake, looking at the rest of Gabe he seemed to be pretty built too. Jack smiled again and answered “Yeah! It’s nice to finally meet you,” Gabe held eye contact and kept a short swath of silence before saying “Hopefully it’ll stay that way.”

 The tone itself wasn’t hostile, almost playful even, but the words and the fact that Gabe looked like he was scowling the entire time made it seem like a threat almost. Jack sat there with his mouth opened but no words coming out as Gabe made his way towards his bed, setting his bags down on the floor.

 Looking at Gabe Jack couldn’t help but smile. His mind, for once, was silent. Almost struck with awe at the person he just met.

  _“You’ll be fine~”_ Ana’s words being the only thing that echoed through his head.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And so their tale begins~  
> Also sorry if the Chapter Titles seem to have nothing to do with the content, I wanted to make each chapter based off of an artistic term that could be interpreted as what the chapter signifies. "Color Theory" refers to the idea of certain colors paired together to compliment each other. In this sense its the idea that Jack and Gabe will soon bring out the best in one another c:


	2. Avant-Garde

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys, sorry this update took a while. It's a long chapter :D

If Jack thought that he couldn't be more awestruck with Gabe he was sorely mistaken. Some of said “awe” was in partially positive aspects, but the rest…

Gabe was a quiet person. At least from what he’s seen of him so far. He seemed to never initiate any conversation unless absolutely necessary. When he did talk it often came off as backhanded or passive aggressive.

Jack wanted to give him the benefit of the doubt, maybe he didn't mean it that way. But as he saw him interact more and more with others it eventually seemed like Gabe was deliberately just being an asshole to Jack specifically.

It was the end of the first week of school and Jack sat alone in the dorm staring blankly at the ceiling.

He thought about that first day they met. They hadn't talked much after their initial greetings with one another and went back to unpacking. After what seemed like an unbearable amount of time in straight silence, Jack was overcome with relief when Ana entered with the rest of his belongings.

She greeted Gabe and for some odd reason they hit it off. Gabe seemed witty and sarcastic while also being able to keep a conversation going. Jack sat there dumbfounded as he tried to comprehend how this was the same man that greeted him not just half an hour before.

Part of him was overjoyed that his room mate wasn't a complete asshole, but another small part nagged at the back of his head. Jack felt like it was jealousy almost, but convinced himself that it was because he had new competition for Ana’s friendship. Definitely not the other way around. Definitely.

The next couple of days went the same. The blond started to wonder if he did something to offend Gabe. He was almost never in the dorm, coming in for necessity and to get supplies only to leave to god knows where. Jack would ask but he only got vague answers in response.

He wanted to talk to Ana about it, maybe she knew. She did have an odd talent for reading people, but with Fareeha and her own classes to deal with he didn't have the heart in him to bother her. She barely had time to visit, she lived in her own apartment now because there was no way she’d be able to take care of Fareeha otherwise. She did have a roommate that also went to their school, helping her take care of her child and the cost of rent. Jack has only met her a couple times but he believed her name was Angela. She was studying architecture and apparently was one of Ana’s first friends upon arriving here.

Soon Jack sighed, too many thoughts and memories running through his head before he decided to turn over to face the wall, pillow over his face. He heard the door open and Jack prayed that Gabe wouldn’t turn the lights on, he liked it in dark like this.

Something in the air shifted upon him entering. He realized that this was an odd thing for Gabe to come in and see, Jack almost never sulked in the dark alone like this. He could hear Gabe gather some stuff, rather slowly than he usually does. Jack doesn’t make the effort to greet or talk to him, if he doesn’t like Jack so be it. He had other things to deal with right now.

“Jack?” Gabe questioned “You alright?”

All Jack did was raise a hand to give a thumbs up, the only effort he decided to put in towards greeting this man. Jack could hear silence, almost as if Gabe was sitting there waiting for something else. Soon more shuffling was heard before Gabe said “I’m actually gonna stay here… I have a project I’m working on but I’ll be quiet okay?”

Jack gave no response as he let Gabe continue on with his business. Honestly he was surprised that Gabe was talking to him this much _and_ deciding to stay with him in the dorm. But it did nothing to get him out of his stupor. He felt a little depressed, nothing major, but he definitely didn’t have enough energy to do anything else other than just… lay there.

Eventually the sounds of whatever Gabe was doing drowned out in the background, and Jack’s mind soon started to run amok yet again.

He thought about how college was-not at all what he expected. His professors were incredibly talented and interesting but they didn’t really seem to care about any of the students. Not to mention all this talk about what they need to do for their careers and how they should be taking complete control over their future at such a young age. It was a lot a pressure, it really sunk in how much Jack was unsure about not only his own abilities as an artist but also what he actually wanted to do with his future.

Was he going to stay in Houston or go back to Indiana? He really missed his family, but he wasn’t sure if his degree would get him anywhere there. He was scared that he would have to give up his dream and help on the farm for the rest of his life.

But here in Houston he felt so… alone. Sure he had Ana but all his other friends were off to other colleges, making a name for themselves and chasing their dreams with no stops. It really sunk in how lonely Jack felt.

If his own roommate couldn’t even tolerate him what chance did he have at making other friends here? Maybe they all just dealt with Jack out of necessity or convenience. _You know that Ana doesn’t feel that way._ But what if she did? What if she actually didn’t like Jack and he was just one of her many friends that she had because she is just nice and kind to everyone?

Jack began to feel his eyes bog down, his mind and body tired with all the worry and stress. Eventually Jack fell asleep, but he could have sworn he felt a pair of eyes on him right before he dozed off from his stressful reality.

 

~[]~

 

This was the first weekend of the beginning of the school year. Jack had… no plans. Why would he? Ana was obviously busy and he didn’t have anyone else to talk to. Because of this Jack decided to sleep in when his alarm clock went off. Only problem was he couldn’t. He almost sat there again letting his mind get the best of him when a tiny ounce of motivation peeked its way out to at least get him out of bed.

When Jack did finally decide to get up he realized Gabe was gone, but he had a lot of his supplies out. A trash bag on the floor covered in paint, multiple pots of expensive looking acrylics, and paint brushes drying on the window sill. There was no canvas to be found though, only those things that were out of place.

Jack was no stickler for cleanliness or being neat. He did keep his side of the room tidied up but mostly out of the convenience of not losing anything. Gabe seemed more messy, but Jack didn’t mind. As long as he didn’t screw with his stuff he didn’t care.

But something about looking at the remnants of Gabe’s project peaked his curiosity. He decided he needed to get out. Sulking in his dorm room was doing him no favors so he was gonna take a walk, maybe find that coffee shop everyone’s been talking about.

Wondering over to the closet he got dressed in some jeans, a Captain America T-Shirt, and a white button up over it with the front open and the sleeves rolled up. He then grabbed his wallet and laptop to hopefully do some work.

Heading out of the building he spotted a very tall and built man, grinning like he had been born to do nothing else his entire life. This man was in Jack's figure drawing class, he went by Reinhardt and he was one one of the only acquaintances Jack had at OAU.

The much shorter dwarf next to him looked like he was ready to punch Reinhardt in the face. He seemed to have a permanent scowl plastered on. _Like Gabe…_

Jack didn't recognize the short man, but tried to walk past them without getting noticed. Sure enough just when Jack was a good distance away he heard a shout, almost indistinguishable but the voice it was coming from was definitely familiar.

Jack mentally cursed himself before turning around to see what called him. Reinhardt was about 30 feet away waving at Jack. He returned the favor by giving him a quick wave back and briskly turning around to head the other way.

Having avoided a conversation that would have no doubt lasted a while, Jack let out a sigh of relief.

He was just trying to find that coffee shop. For the life of him he couldn't remember the name. Apparently it was in the middle of campus and had run a lot of competitors out of business despite it being not a chain.

Jack had tried to follow the mental directions in his head of where it might be before spotting the back of a black bricked building. Mentally praying this was it he followed the path to the front of the place and looked up to see the sign.

_Blackwatch Café_

Now he remembered. This was definitely the place everyone was raving about. The sign was white and written in big bold type. The font contrasted the almost home like design of the rest of the building.

There was thin house like windows with red panes on the front. Over all it seemed to have a "vintage building in the city" look. It was near impossible to see inside so Jack decided to go in and see what the buzz was about.

First thing that assaulted him was the smell. A weird mix of cinnamon, coffee and… _paint?_ His mind filled in.

The second thing was how busy it was. The café was moderately big, lots of tables and even some booths, but there seemed to be a square area in the corner that was just open. Jack couldn't see because of all the people but he was curious as to what it was for.

The overall aesthetic of the place was dark colors but intricate and abstract paintings all around the walls. There was a giant mural where the large area was that Jack tried his best to see.

As he was distracted a man behind him cleared his throat rather obnoxiously. Jack glanced behind him, then in front of him and realized the line was moving and he was holding everyone up. Blushing slightly he apologized before walking forward.

There was still three people on front of him, which meant he had some more time to decide. He glanced at the menu expecting normal coffee choices before squinting his eyes to see if they were deceiving him.

_The Widow_

_Mercy Me_

_High Noon_

_Green Ninja_

And a myriad of other oddly named beverages. He almost left the line to see each of the choices and decide then but before he knew it he was next in line.

Jack decided on going with the 76, which was coffee with cherry flavored creamer, whipped cream, white chocolate chips, and blue raspberry drizzle.

Jack usually likes straight black coffee, but he figured he ought to try something new. But upon getting his drink he suspected it might be awfully sugary.

Taking his cup he walked over to the nearest empty table. Conveniently for him it seemed to be the _only e_ mpty table. It sat in the corner near the windows at the front of the café, luckily away from the array of people. Jack adjusted himself down and set up his laptop, ready to get to work on his homework.

After about five minutes he took his eyes away from the screen to see if his coffee was cool enough to drink. As he grabbed the cup he realized he could actually see the large empty space now. He looked around to see people standing in a row observing paintings it seemed like. They were all talking with one another, all except one person that Jack realized had been staring at him.

Jack nearly had a heart attack when he realized who it was.

 _Gabe_ -

Suddenly as soon as they locked eyes Gabe began walking towards him. Jack panicked and looked down at his laptop, his peripheral vision spying on him. Soon Gabe just took the empty seat across from Jack, crossing his arms and leaning back.

Jack looked at him, visibly nervous before finally saying “O-oh! Hey-”

“You better?”

Jack gave him a questioning look “What?”

“Are you doing better? Mentally?”

Jack was surprised Gabe noticed. I mean it wasn't too hard to see that something was obviously wrong with him last night, but Jack was impressed he knew it was a bad episode.

“Oh yeah that. No it was nothing, you don't need to worry about it” Jack was practically exuberating happiness, it was faked but any normal person wouldn't have suspected anything to be wrong.

Looking at Gabe’s face though caught Jack off guard. He almost looked- _disappointed_ his mind filled in.

Before Jack could say anything about it his phone started vibrating on the table. The screen read _dad_ and Jack had to smile at Gabe apologetically before answering it.

Gabe stayed where he was, unmoving. He didn't look at Jack and instead off into some random direction.

Answering the phone Jack greeted his father. He asked about he family and the farm, trying to catch up on recent events. The last time Jack’s dad called him was two weeks before school started. He seemed a bit off then but Jack didn’t press him about it, probably just a stressful day. But as the conversation went on Jack could sense that same sort of uneasiness coming from his father now.

After a bit of small talk he decided to ask.

“So uh, why'd you call dad?”

There was a pause on the other end before his dad answered “Listen Jackie… me and your mother have been talking and we aren't too sure if you being at OAU is the best for you… I mean, art won't get you a steady job. Even if it is a Graphic Design degree it's not gonna be a guaranteed future with promise…”

Jack figured his face must have showed his emotions-which were a twisted mix of shock, anger, and sadness-because Gabe was looking at Jack worriedly.

Shaking his head slightly he looked down at his lap “I-I don't understand… why didn't you tell me sooner? I mean, I’m already enrolled. I already have debt-”

“Jack we'd be able to handle it. If you just- just come back to Indiana and if you work on the farm for a couple years then you can go to a real college and-”

“No!” Jack ended up actually yelling into the phone. Half the café looked at Jack and his face went ruby red. Gabe was clearly surprised at Jack's outburst but kept his gaze on him. He mouthed _is everything ok?_ and Jack shook his head.

“No.” he repeated to his dad “We’ll talk about this later.” then he hung up the phone.

Jack refused to look at anywhere else but his lap. His mind was swimming with questions but eventually he cleared his throat, feeling like he was about to cry any second.

Pushing his coffee cup near Gabe he said “Here, you can have this, I didn’t drink it. I’m… I’m gonna go…”

When he finally looked back at the man in front of him he could see a sympathetic look in his eyes, it was almost like he wanted to say something but Gabe stayed silent.

Jack grabbed his laptop to leave the cafe. As he left Jack didn’t really know where else to go. He leaned against the wall of the outside Blackwatch, trying to think of an escape. Finally he decided to be selfish. He pulled out his phone and called Ana.

After some time of dialtones her phone went to voicemail, leading Jack to sigh to himself and hang up.

Jack sat there against the hot brick that had been baking in the morning sun not knowing where else to go. He looked at the other people with their friends walking along campus laughing with each other and having a great time.

It has never shown through more than in this moment, with Gabe’s clear dislike of Jack, with Ana not answering, and with the absence of his parents support.

Jack Morrison has never felt more alone.

 

~[]~

 

Gabriel Reyes has never made Jack more angry than in these past few months. As soon as the Cafe incident happened Jack vowed to himself to never show that weak side of himself to Gabe. He was never more embarrassed and Jack knew that Gabe didn’t want to see that depressed and sad part of Jack. No one did. It was something he was always good at hiding and so Jack had to brush up his skills once more.

He did have a couple friends like Gabe, closed off and reclusive. But when Jack showed them his charm they all warmed up. It was just who Jack was.

But Gabe was a different story. After the Cafe he seemed to be around the dorm more. The perfect opportunity to strike up some conversation and get this grumpy man out of his shell.

And as the weeks went by with Jack’s plan into action Gabe had been more and more of an asshole. He would ignore Jack, call him out, or just be sarcastic and annoying to get on Jack’s nerves. It was so infuriating. Especially since he apparently had been hanging out with Ana some too, which did a number on Jack’s confidence.

Ana on the other hand was making an effort to be around Jack more. She was trying to convince Jack to drop this act. Just be himself and everything will be fine. Jack always told her to trust him, that he knew the type of person Gabe was and it was all about patience. Ana always rolled her eyes and didn’t press further. She would always mutter something in Arabic that Jack obviously couldn’t understand but would earn her his glares nonetheless.

Jack was concerned about other things too… like his parents. The same day his dad dropped the news Jack called back later that night. They tried to get on equal terms, but it was hard. He tried to explain that he wanted to follow his dream, not live paycheck to paycheck. They didn’t disagree but they weren’t happy either.

The whole thing damaged Jack’s relationship with his parents. He loved them to death but the conversation eventually evolved into a “Do what you want” situation. It almost hurt more than his parents yelling at him. At least it showed they cared. When they said that… like they were giving up on Jack? He couldn’t think about it.

All this tension would eventually evolve into Jack leaving the dorm to go cry in the community bathroom. He couldn’t use the one in the dorm because no doubt Gabe would hear him and hassle him some more. He couldn’t risk that.

But this week was approaching midterms, and Jack had to put all that on hold to make sure he was golden.

He was packing up his things as his figure drawing class ended. Next to him Reinhardt was smiling as he nudged Jack. “My friend,” his heavily accented voice boomed “Are you ready for midterms?”

Visibly looking much more nervous Jack laughed a bit “Oh yeah… I’m having a bit of trouble with some of the vocab…” Jack admitted. In reality he’d been trying to study for the past week but had no such luck. He for the life of him couldn’t remember a lot of the terms the professor assigned. Along with that his grade in the class was stagnating at a C because he couldn't master most of the technique’s even though he would put in so much extra effort.

Reinhardt grinned before asking “Well me and Torbjorn are gonna be working on this upcoming project together as well as studying the terms! It would be an honor for you to join us.” Jack had met Torbjorn about a month into his classes. He was grumpy for sure, but smart and gave surprisingly great advice. He was majoring in sculpture like Reinhardt was, so they shared a lot of the same classes together.

Jack figured since those two provided a nice balance to each other that it would help him in trying to better understand the content for the midterm, especially with some new perspectives on Jack’s utilization of the technique’s. “Yeah sure, I’ll go. When is it?”

“It’s at Blackwatch at six tonight. Does that work for you Jack?”

“Yeah,” Jack smiled while slinging his shoulder back around his torso “Sounds like a plan.”

“Good!” Reinhardt gave a hardy slap to Jack’s back before laughing and walking out the doors. Jack smiled weakly before heading to his next class.

The day went by in a blur. Jack was done with his classes by 5 and decided to head to Blackwatch early. He made sure he had all of what he needed for his project and then set off to the cafe. Getting there around 5:15 he made sure to save a spot for his other two friends. Jack ordered his favorite drink that he found recently called _The Reaper_. It was black coffee with whipped cream and raspberry drizzle. Jack always added cinnamon on top at the drink station cause it really brought the whole thing together.

He sat next to the window in the middle of the café, taking out his sketchbook to draw up some more thumbnails.

Around 6:15 he received a text from Torb that read _Me and Rein can’t make it. Something came up._

Jack frowned before typing _No problem, hopefully it all gets sorted out._

Sighing he thought how it would be harder for him to complete this project but brushed it off. Nothing he couldn't handle.

As the time ticked by in the quiet but lively café Jack began to feel a familiar toxicity cloud his brain. No. He couldn't have this right now. Not while midterms are so close.

But it seemed like Jack no longer had a say in the matter.

_They hate you. They cancelled because they don't like you. Why do you even try?_

Soon these thoughts were completely fogging his being. Nothing worked. Not even cradling his cup of coffee hoping that the bitter taste would chase away the demons.

Around 7:30 he couldn't take anymore and he left Blackwatch.

Jack walked along the brick path feeling the grossly nostalgic stab of his depression. All his voices so loud in his head, what was he to do but go home and sulk it away? That seemed to be the only solution at this point.

Soon enough he was in front of his dorm door. A tiny voice in his head prayed that Gabe wouldn't be there, a voice that sounded like a mere whisper in the sounds of a construction zone of other thoughts.

Gathering the courage he had left he opened the door the find the lights on and Gabe on the floor, a painting leaning against his bed and lots of art supplies set up around him. 

 _Just my luck_ a thought managed to say loudly.

Jack looked to his desk and started putting his things away, refusing to greet Gabe.

Gabriel glanced at Jack once then looked again. Jack could feel eyes on him but he didn't have the energy to care.

A swath of silence accompanied them before Gabe said “What's up your ass farm boy? Is the niñito throwing a fit?”

Jack stopped what he was doing. Suddenly in that moment all the chorus of voices stopped at the same time and left one second of pure quiet.

He soon realized it was because something in him snapped. The last straw before everything came crashing down. Before he knew it he lost control. Something was coming out, something ugly and raw. And Jack couldn't stop it. His plan, his act, it all was about to be thrown out the window and he was forced to watch as any sense of logical reasoning left him.

Jack snapped his head over to Gabriel and growled low and vicious “What the fuck is your problem?”

Gabe’s face turned to look at him. He saw something in Jack's face that caused him to go slightly slack jawed. He didn't answer the question though. Good. Jack wasn't actually asking.

“Do you understand how much I'm trying here? I have been doing nothing but kissing your ass since I've gotten here and you just have to be such an asshole!” Jack put down the rest of his things before walking closer to Gabe.

“But I guess it doesn't matter does it? To you I'm just a spoiled brat who doesn't belong here. But you want to know something Gabe? I have worked my ass off for the past five years just to get here. I have not only somehow convinced my parents to let me do art, but also to move all the way to Texas just to pursue my dream.” running a hand through his hair Jack could feel tears starting to well up.

“A-and now they're gonna drag me back to the farm, make me destroy all I've built. I could say fuck it and just stay here but what's the point of that either!” tears have started to course down Jack's face as his voice began to raise in volume “there's no point in staying because my best friend since high school can't be there for my sorry ass and my own roommate hates me!”

Gabe’s face had changed. It was completely unreadable. No anger no surprise. He slowly stood up and crossed his arms looking at Jack. Nothing about him was threatening, in fact it almost felt like Gabe was accepting a punishment.

“Ever since I got here.” Jack started again, voice much more soft and broken “I've been trying so goddamn hard-” he choked up slightly “I know it's supposed to be more challenging but no one told me it would be like this… no one told me that my parents would stop caring, or that I wouldn't have friends. No one told me that I would doubt my abilities as an artist, and that my life-” Jack paused “that my life would fall apart.”

All the voices where gone, all the voices left because Jack gave them all the Gabe. All his worries, all his doubts were now out in the open air. Jack wanted to sleep, he wanted to forget this all happened and leave but something in him caused him to look up at Gabe.

The fucker was smiling. Grinning like an idiot. Jack would have punched him right then and there if he didn't realize that this was the first time he's ever seen Gabe smile.

_Its beautiful_

Jack had to shove that thought down to just about yell at Gabe again before the man spoke. “There we go Jack!”

Jack was completely confused as Gabe walked towards him and slapped his hand on his back almost congratulatory. “It finally comes out! I was wondering how long it would take.”

“What?!” Jack yelled out

Gabe had the audacity to laugh and Jack began to wonder why his chest seized ever so slightly at the sound. _His laugh, it's so-_ Jack refused to let this thought finish as he shook his head. Mostly at himself but also at Gabe.

As the man's laughter subsided so did his playful nature. Gabe looked more serious this time as he looked straight into Jack's eyes. “Listen Jack. I know I've been a real ass. But it's for a reason. As you can probably tell I'm not a people person. I can't stand all the introductions and how fake people can be when they're around others. What I appreciate most in a person is upfront honesty in who they are. Why do you think I like Ana so much?”

Jack looked away from Gabe to think. After a small pause Jack answered “Yeah… She’s definitely honest about that kind of thing....”

“Exactly. I’m sure all you’ve ever known is trying to please others and that’s fine for you. But for someone like me it won’t work. Honestly for most people who do that to me I just give up on them. But I saw a glimpse of who you were Jack” Gabe then lifted his hand to put it on his shoulder, Jack’s head snapped up and he met Gabriel’s eyes “You let me see it, if only for a second. It was so frustrating when you started trying to please me again.”

Gabe beamed “I knew getting on your nerves would get you out of this game your playing.” Jack realized that he was grinning too. He tried to stop but he couldn’t wipe the stupid smile off of his face. He shouldered off Gabe’s hand and looked down to hide his face instead while saying “Wow, thanks” sarcastically.

Laughing again Gabe said “Anytime farm boy. But seriously, I just wanna get the chance to know the real you Jack. If you’ll let me then I’d be happy to help you with whatever is giving you hell.” Jack nodded weakly while whipping his face.

“Besides me of course. ” he added. Jack scoffed and rolled his eyes. He realized a huge load had been lifted off of his shoulders and it felt so relieving, he quietly whispered almost incoherently “Thanks.” to the man in front of him. Gabe’s eyes widened slightly and he nodded “... Yeah, anytime.” There was something in his voice that Jack couldn’t place but it sounded different, before he had any chance to think on it some more Gabe started to head towards the door.

“Where are you going?” Jack said before he could stop himself.

Gabe took out his wallet and keys before answering “I’m gonna go get us some tea, it’ll help calm the nerves.”

Jack nodded weakly while plopping down onto his bed and sighing. Gabe was in the hall about to close the door before Jack called out again “Wait Gabe!”

Gabe cracked open the door more so he could see Jack and raised an eyebrow.

“You realize it would have been so much easier if you just told me this when we first met right?” Jack had a playful tone to his voice to show that he was semi-kidding and semi-serious.

Gabe grinned mischievously and said “It wouldn’t have been as fun pendejo~” before closing the door. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Avant-Garde means new or unique ideas. This was used in this chapter because what Gabe talked about-being honest about who you are-is a new idea to Jack. But damn him if he won't do his best to try it out.  
> It also plays at the idea of college being so new to Jack.

**Author's Note:**

> And so their tale begins~  
> Also sorry if the Chapter Titles seem to have nothing to do with the content, I wanted to make each chapter based off of an artistic term that could be interpreted as what the chapter signifies. "Color Theory" refers to the idea of certain colors paired together to compliment each other. In this sense its the idea that Jack and Gabe will soon bring out the best in one another c:


End file.
